The Exception Clause
By Michael W. Larsen
27 August 2006
Adult Education Hour
Matthew 19:3-6
Last week we began on the difficult subject of Divorce and Remarriage. This subject is difficult in part because there are emotions involved. It is hard to look at things objectively when it gets personal isn’t it? We covered many versus of scripture dealing with the topic and attempted to keep it in the context of the passages to show what God’s view is of Marriage and Divorce.
As I said last week, I am well aware of whom I am talking here this morning. I know there are people in this congregation who have been through divorces for a variety of reasons. With a divorce rate around 50% that is true in most every congregation. As I said last week, I have loved ones who also have experienced the difficult and painful divorce process.
I thank God that even though we mess things up He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins if we confess them, but we need to know what to confess, amen?. It is also true that God can work what we mess up out for good.
The purpose of teaching on the topic of Divorce is so that we get the whole council of God. This is in no way an indictment on your past but instruction in Truth for our future.
Last week we looked at:
Gen Chapter 2 God created one woman for one man and the 2 shall be one flesh. Jesus referenced this as the standard for our current day marriages. As our marriages are a picture of Christ’s relationship to His church, we must see that Christ is a faithful covenant keeping Husband.
Mal 2:16 The Lord God of Israel hates putting away
Luke 16:18 Jesus said, “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Mark 10:11-12 Jesus said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Mark 10:2-9 Jesus clarifies Duet 24:1-4 and rebukes the Pharisees for misusing the teaching of Moses. Then he instructs them on his expectations regarding divorce and remarriage taking them back to Genesis for God’s original intent. Then He tells them, “What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”
1 Cor 7:10-11 Paul says do not divorce but if you do then you must remain unmarried or be reconciled to your spouse.
1 Cor 7:39 Paul says, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Romans 7:1-4 Read it Here God, in this awesome passage, is telling us that we believers are made dead to the law of sin by the blood of Christ and thereby making us free to be joined to another, which is Christ. He uses the example of marriage to explain it because death is the way a marriage is dissolved.
We don’t become free from sin through any other means but death and we don’t become free from marriage by any other means either!
So we have much clear teaching on the seriousness and permanence of the marriage covenant. It is with all that teaching in mind that we need to look at and Mat 19:9 and Mat 5:32. Let’s look at the sentence that sends the modern day church into a tailspin on the question of marriage and divorce. But first let’s get the context
Remember the custom of the Day. The people were divorcing for just about any cause. The Romans practiced incest or relationships with close relatives. The Pharisees came to tempt Jesus. The debate was between 2 ideas
· Divorce for any reason
· Divorce for adultery only
In that context let’s look at Mat 19:3-9
Mat 19:3-6 Jesus takes them to the God’s original intent of marriage and them tells them not to get divorced.
Then the Pharisees said to themselves. “aha! We got him! And said verse 7.
Jesus tells them that because of the hardness of their hearts Moses ALLOWED (not commanded) them to divorce. Verse 8 God Hates divorce Mal 2:16
Verse 9 Jesus reiterates that whoever divorces and remarries commits adultery.
Fornication cannot mean simply adultery in this verse. If it did then why would Matthew not use the word adultery? He delineates a difference between adultery and fornication in this very verse.
Mat 19:9 “Except it be for fornication” The word fornication is used. Porneiais What is that word? Fornication is a pretty broad term that can mean any sexual uncleanness. Unlawful sexual activity. It is also used to describe idolatry or unlawful relationships. Certainly homosexuality or other unlawful or perverted uses of the body sexually falls into this category. We also consider fornication to relate to sex before marriage and adultery to reflect sex after marriage.
The question is, “What does this word fornication in this passage mean? It cannot mean simply Adultery. Matthew only uses the word Porneiais in one other place besides 19:9 and 5:32, and that is 15:19. That makes a total of 3 times and in all 3 times it is used along side with the word for adultery. It is clear that Matthew’s use of the word shows us that it is something different than adultery.
Let’s remember that absolute form of Jesus denouncing divorce and remarriage written in Mark and Luke is not maintained by Matthew. Some believe that Matthew is stating what was already considered the “obvious”, that adultery was grounds for divorce, and that Luke and Mark did not include it because it was obvious. That seems quite doubtful (if the word means adultery) based on the reaction from the disciples;
Mat 19:9-10 The disciples were a bit shocked at his difficult saying! They understood him to be saying that the “exception clause” does not mean adultery! It was already standard assumption that adultery was grounds. Jesus was correcting this wrong interpretation and it shocked them!
That is the very same reaction the modern Christian has today when a pastor says “No Divorce and No Remarriage.
The modern Christian, says, “That’s harsh, impossible, can’t be!” Then they begin to look at the Word of God looking to create the loophole. Some way to soften the requirement for them to be Holy and to be sanctified by their marriage.
That is what the Pharisees were doing with Duet 24:1-4. They were viewing that piece of scripture through their desire to justify their divorce and remarriage. Jesus rebuked them for their misuse of scripture and their position on divorce and remarriage.
So if fornication in this verse does not mean adultery, then what does it mean?
· Some writers believe it means the marriage is out of fornication. The marriage itself is Unlawful. Like the incest happening in that day.
Lev 18 lists many unclean sex acts like a close relative, or homosexual, or with a beast, etc. These “marriages” are unlawful and in fornication and should be put away therefore the adultery of remarriage would not apply.
· Other writers believe Jesus is referencing the fornication during the “betrothal” period, like Joseph thought he experienced with Mary. This is grounds for putting away. The scripture calls Joseph a “just man” when he was going to put Mary away. Joseph discovered the uncleanness before they were married and he could put her away. The words Husband and wife are used during the engagement period as well as after the marriage is official.
Conclusion: Marriage is precious. It is for as long as you both shall live. It is the picture of Christ and the Church. As the church can never be separated from the love of Christ, the wife should never be separated from the Love of the husband. All divorce is the product of sin. God would never command divorce since God hates divorce. God would instead have us die to the sin so divorce is not even a consideration. That process is called sanctification. Divorced people must remain unmarried. People who have been remarried, must treat their current marriage as their first and honor God in it. You can never go back to your first spouse once there is a marriage in between so honor God in the marriage you’re in.
When this marriage study began some 3 months ago I would have told you that divorce for adultery and desertion is OK and so is remarriage in those cases. This view did not come from scripture but from my own view of having compassion on people who were struggling in their marriage or who have been divorced. I have learned from this series the importance of marriage in God’s eyes and the foundational purposes for marriage. I have also learned that compromising with the Word of God in this area is not compassionate but leads to the destruction families.
Marriage is a wonderful blessing when we do it God’s way. I pray that each of us will die to self and love
and serve one another in our marriages. Guys, cherish the helpmeet God has given you. Love her passionately and only her. Ladies, reverence your husband. Give yourself to him totally. Build him up and give him the help he so desperately needs.